Chapter 56: Successful Acquisition

"Very well, then I can tell you directly: it's natural energy."

"Natural energy?"

Orochimaru was not unfamiliar with this term. He was a summoner of the Ryūchi's Cave and had attempted to learn Sage Mode there.

However, he ultimately failed. But Orochimaru never gave up on the power of Sage Mode. He found a boy named Jūgo in a village near the Ryūchi's Cave.

Jūgo was born with the ability to communicate with natural energy, though it was unstable and extremely dangerous.

Through his research on Jūgo, Orochimaru developed the curse mark.

Indeed, the curse mark is an indirect use of natural energy. But it still fell short compared to the complete Sage Mode.

Nonetheless, this demonstrated Orochimaru's remarkable research talent, almost as if he had a cheat.

"That's right, natural energy. The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, understood Sage Mode. And it was an unprecedentedly near-perfect Sage Mode.

His body had a strong affinity with natural energy. I'm not sure if it's because of this, but when the First's cells went berserk, natural energy could effectively calm this outburst, allowing the transplant recipient to endure longer.

However, whether they can last until the end is not certain. This only serves as auxiliary support."

"Natural energy." This answer exceeded Orochimaru's expectations. After all, he himself couldn't use this power. Therefore, he hadn't considered it. However, based on previous transactions, he was certain that Aoba wouldn't deceive him.

"I understand. So, Aoba-kun, what do you want in exchange for this information?"

"Data on Wood Release." Aoba replied without hesitation. "I need all the information on Wood Release techniques."

Orochimaru was taken aback but soon realized. Aoba was just a civilian ninja and normally wouldn't have access to Wood Release data.

"Hehe, no problem. I will send it to you shortly. To be honest, Aoba, you're truly wasting your talent in Konoha. You should come to me.

When I left, I almost collected all the data from Konoha. Anything Konoha has, I have as well. And it's all open to you. How about it? Join me, and together we can change the entire ninja world."

"Thank you for the compliment, Orochimaru-sama. I'll consider it."

Aoba gave the same response. Orochimaru knew this was his way of rejecting the offer. It made him was curious why Aoba insisted on staying in Konoha.

Orochimaru couldn't believe that Aoba was so loyal to Konoha. He suspected that his reason for staying in Konoha was for some special purpose that he had yet to uncover.

"I see. Then for the second transaction. Even though Aoba-kun said the most crucial condition is beyond my ability, I still want to know what the conditions for the lady's success were."

"Are you sure, Orochimaru-sama? Even if it requires a significant price on your part?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Very well. The experiment at that time had actually failed. Yumi's body had already begun to undergo preliminary mutations.

But Karui saved her. The time they spent relying on each other as mother and daughter, the bloodline connection, granted Yumi unimaginable strength and courage.

It might sound abstract. To put it more clearly: Yumi, due to her love and reluctance to part with her daughter, unleashed a powerful mental force that forcibly suppressed her body's mutations, completing the final fusion.

So, the final answer is… love. It was love that helped her complete the final transformation."

Orochimaru felt that he was mocking him as someone who lacked love. However, he couldn't deny that Aoba's explanation made sense.

Orochimaru had researched mental power. After all, the Sharingan he coveted required mental force to activate. So Aoba's statement was logically sound.

And he was right. Orochimaru indeed couldn't achieve such strong emotions. It was a somewhat sad fact.

"I see. I understand. Aoba-kun, I need to revise my evaluation of you. You possess more than just hidden information. Your research and exploratory skills are also outstanding. I feel we're becoming more alike."

"Alright, Aoba-kun. What do you need me to provide as part of the trade?"

"A pair of Sharingan."

"What?"

"I need a complete pair of three-tomoe Sharingan from the same person."

"Aoba-kun, this request is difficult for me to fulfill. I do not possess any Sharingan."

"I know. But Danzo does. Don't doubt it; it's a well-known fact. He possesses numerous Sharingan. With your methods and your relationship with him, obtaining a pair of Sharingan shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

"... Aoba-kun, I'm curious. With so many chips in your hand, why don't you negotiate with Danzo directly?"

"Orochimaru-sama, you jest. I'm sure you're well aware of what kind of person Danzo is. If I were to approach him, there would be only two outcomes: either I kill him or he kills me."

"Hahaha, it seems you do truly understand Danzo. Very well, I agree to this condition."

"Good. Then this transaction is concluded, Orochimaru-sama."

Aoba adhered to his principle of minimizing mistakes. After three transactions, he ended the deal.

Orochimaru seemed somewhat reluctant but knew he no longer had the leverage to threaten him. Thus, he left Konoha with some reluctance.

Aoba then checked on the still unconscious Karui.

"It's nothing serious. It's a form of sleep-inducing illusion from the Temple of Nirvana Technique. Let her sleep. With Karin's constitution, she'll awaken by morning."

Yumi then felt relieved and placed Karin back on the bed.

Afterward, she and Aoba began repairing and covering up the traces of the fight from the night.

In truth, ninja techniques are incredibly useful when applied correctly. Repairing houses, walls, and floors—using Earth Release effectively, it took less than a minute to restore all the damage.

Yumi even used Wood Release to restore some plants in the courtyard.

"Yumi, your control over Wood Release has improved significantly. Once we obtain the Wood Release technique data, start practicing the advanced techniques. In time, we may need you to protect us."

Yumi's response was to corner Aoba against the wall.

"Is that so? Then I'll need to charge an advance protection fee."

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